Professionals across NHS Wales were awarded for their successes in making healthcare services more sustainable at the Welsh NHS Sustainability Awards 2024 recently.
The awards celebrate the efforts of staff in delivering environmentally friendly outcomes at work, and projects making lasting changes.
Winning the Cohesive Communities Award was a partnership between Powys Teaching Health Board’s Living Well Service, Powys County Council’s Libraries team and Accessibility Powys to overcome barriers to digital access.
The partnership work, under the title of “Breaking Down Barriers - Supporting people to access digital healthcare in rural Powys” involves providing digital support to service users across Powys ranging from reassurance and coaching on using technology through to arranging loans of iPads from a local library. It even provides individual support to people within their home.
Tim Smith is the health board’s Living Well Service Business Manager: “It’s great to have the recognition for this work as we feel it’s really bringing the health service to the people rather than them having to travel. Obviously, ‘remote’ health care doesn’t work for all people and conditions but for many people it works really well, saving them travel time and costs.”
“But this has really been a partnership between us, the council and Accessibility Powys – we couldn’t have made this work on our own,” added Mr Smith.
The teams have been working together for two years, establishing a way for health board staff to refer people in need of access to digital connectivity directly to the library service. This simple process enables people to get access to support at a time and in a place that is most convenient for them.
Tilly Boscott-Moses, Digital Officer within the council’s library service commented: "We are delighted that our iPad loan scheme has been recognised in this way, demonstrating the value of fortifying strong community collaboration. It would not have been possible without the support of library staff, who have shared our vision of greater digital inclusion among all members of the community. Our partnership with Powys Teaching Health Board has allowed us to help those who need it most when they need it most, and by facilitating access to digital appointments via our iPad Loan Scheme, we are closer to eradicating the digital divide in Powys."
Accessibility Powys has helped people who need extra support including within their home and loans of technology for increased accessibility. Maria Whittaker is its Chief Executive Officer: “We are absolutely delighted but it’s part of a long journey to bridging the digital gap and breaking down digital barriers in our communities.”
Vice Chair of Powys Teaching Health Board and Chair of Powys Regional Partnership Board Kirsty Williams said: “The services have all worked together to do an amazing job to help overcome this isolation and challenge. They’ve done it by building digital confidence, helping people take the steps they want and need to live a more fulfilled life.”
Whilst support is available directly through each of the three organisations, the partnership has made accessing support as simple as possible for service users, enabling the active offer of support with the technology alongside arranging clinical appointments.
All support provided is free to access and is available to anyone engaging with the health board, regardless of their health condition or income.
The full list of winners of the national awards is:
- The CNO's 'Sustainability in Nursing & Midwifery' Award – Swansea Bay University Health Board
- The Spread & Scale Award - Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
- The Sustainable Champion Award – Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
- The Cohesive Communities Wales Award - Powys Teaching Health Board
- The More Equal Wales Award - Prince Charles Hospital
- The Culture & Language Wales Award - Hywel Dda University Health Board
- The Prosperous Wales Award - Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
- The Resilient Wales Award - Swansea Bay University Health Board NHS Wales
- The Healthier Wales Award - Primary Care Division, Public Health Wales
- The Globally Responsible Wales Award - Cardiff and Vale University Hospital Health Board
Photo: The Powys Living Well Service Digital Team are pictured at the ceremony. From left, Charles Patterson (Digital Facilitator), Katie Jones (Digital Project Manager), Tim Smith (Business Manager), Owen Hughes (Head of Service)
